Premier League most valuable in European football by nearly £1 billion

A Deloitte report reveals that the English top flight remains well ahead of its next rival, the Bundesliga, but the German league boasts healthier wage spending and bigger crowds

The Premier League[2] has retained its position as the most valuable league in European football by almost £1 billion, according to the 2013 edition of Deloitte[3]'s Annual Review of Football Finance.English top division clubs generated nearly £2.5bn in revenue in 2011-12, racing well ahead of its closest rival, the German Bundesliga, whose teams brought in around £1.6bn.La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy and Ligue 1 in France combined with the Premier League and Bundesliga to give the 'big five' leagues a market share of 48 per cent of European football as a whole.The Premier League is expected to move further ahead in revenue in coming years as it enters lucrative new television deals despite significantly larger domestic broadcast deals agreed in Germany.Football continues to prove remarkably resistant to the economic problems affecting much of the continent, with overall revenue rising 11 per cent to an enormous £16.5bn.The Premier League, Serie A and Ligue 1 all maintain revenue to wages ratios of between 70 and 75 per cent. La Liga, on the other hand, stands at a 60 per cent ratio while the Bundesliga is at mere 51 per cent.Premier League wages rose 16 per cent in 2011-12, double the next highest increase of any of the 'big five' leagues. Despite this, its attendances declined two per cent.The Bundesliga enjoyed a five per cent rise in attendance and continues to attract average gates around 10,000 fans higher than the Premier League.La Liga recorded a one per cent rise in attendances to remain third overall, but Serie A and Ligue 1 endured seven and four per cent losses respectively.A total of 50 per cent of Premier League clubs' revenue came courtesy of broadcast income, which is expected to rise another £25m per club by 2013-14. English professional football contributed £1.3bn in tax in 2011-12.